Ale
- generally associated with yeasts working at warmer temperatures than lagers.
- Profiles range from light to powerful; ale means neither amber nor necessarily very bitter.
Beer
Beer styles & service
Read the main styles
1 / 2Lager
- generally fermented cooler, followed by cold maturation.
- A lager can be pale or dark.
- Colour is not a fermentation method.
Stout and porter
- dark families, with roasted grain, cocoa or coffee notes depending on the recipe.
- Their boundaries overlap; stout is not automatically higher in alcohol, sweeter or stronger than porter.
Weissbier
- German wheat beer, often characterised by fermentation-derived banana and clove notes.
- Hefe indicates yeast presence, so the appearance is often cloudy.
Fruit beer
- fruit is added to a base beer.
- It may be dry and acidic or sweet; it is neither a synonym for lambic nor a guarantee of low alcohol.